


Trust

by dreamthievespart17



Series: Companionship (Soft Ronsey) [2]
Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Hair Washing, Kinda?, M/M, Non-Sexual Intimacy, POV Richard Gansey III, Poetic Narration, Queerplatonic Relationships, Ronan swears like once but what did you expect, Showers, Touch-Starved, Trust, Undefined Relationship, showering together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:26:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29662422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamthievespart17/pseuds/dreamthievespart17
Summary: Gansey takes a shower and Ronan joins him.
Relationships: Richard Gansey III & Ronan Lynch, Richard Gansey III/Ronan Lynch
Series: Companionship (Soft Ronsey) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2179572
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	Trust

Gansey sighed contentedly. 

Closing the bathroom door behind him, he peeled off his clothes languidly, humming as he felt the cool air wash over the expanse of his skin. Now naked, he stepped over to the sink and paused. 

Placing his glasses on the edge of the basin, he took in his own appearance; eyes bright and a smile curling onto his lips – he couldn’t recall the last time he’d felt this happy and carefree. 

And it was all because of Ronan. 

_Ronan_. 

Two nights ago Gansey had been awake until three in the morning, unable to sleep, yet too tired to even consider moving his hands or using his mind, so he sat at the table in the main room and watched the silent night exist. 

The sound of quiet footsteps tickled his subconscious and when he looked up, Ronan was looking down. At him. 

He crossed the distance between them and Gansey held his breath and couldn’t help but think about how beautiful he was. Beautiful in the way that a cracked window is beautiful, slivered glass splintering away from the center of a bruising collision, fascinating in its resilience. Beautiful in the way a car crash is beautiful, vehicle burning on the side of the road while shell-shocked once-passengers watch it melt. Beautiful in the way a scar is beautiful, ridged red lines and quiet indents marking what once was painful and now is whole. 

Beautiful. 

Gansey kissed him. 

He kissed him and didn’t think too hard about it, and he didn’t regret it. 

And ever since then, he’d been happy. 

As he looked himself in the eyes as he gazed into the looking glass, he felt reckless and he felt free. 

No, he didn’t regret it at all. 

He stepped into the shower, fiddling with the knobs as a stream of water sprayed from the nozzle, waiting for it to warm up. 

Once he was satisfied with the temperature, he stepped under the spray and relaxed like never before. The molten liquid ran over his skin in rivulets, pooling in the divots between angles and the curve of flesh and bone. His hair grew sopping wet in no time at all and he stood with his head bowed under the stream and his hands braced for balance against the wall in front of him. 

It was nice to sink into the moment. It was nice to indulge in simple pleasures. 

He hummed once more and ran his finger through the now-tangled strands of dark hair, massaging his scalp and gently working out the knots. 

Gansey reached for the shampoo and was about to rub some into his hair when there was a knock at the door. 

“Ronan?”

Ronan’s voice was muffled through the wood of the door and beneath the sound of the rushing water, but Gansey still heard him well enough. 

“Practice ended early today and the other shower is only fucking putting out cold water.” From what Gansey could gather of his tone of voice, Ronan was tired, but glad to be home. “Can I…” Ronan paused for a moment and Gansey had just enough time to wonder if he was about to ask what Gansey _thought_ he was asking. He certainly hoped so. “Can I… join you?” _Yes_. 

“Yes.” Gansey instantly replied, then cleared his throat. “Sure, that’s fine. Door’s unlocked, just come on in.”

Gansey held his breath and the door creaked and the distinct sound of _Ronan_ shuffling around filled the small space. 

“It’s fine,” Gansey breathed, wanting to reassure him. “I don’t mind at all.”

“Okay.” Ronan’s voice was moderately hesitant, but it was true – it was fine. Between the two of them, anything was fine with Gansey. 

Distracted from what he’d just been about to do, Gansey put the shampoo back where it had been and waited, listening to the sound of Ronan shucking off his clothes, a bit embarrassed but more so pleased at the intimacy of the whole situation. Ronan was comfortable around him. He valued that knowledge above nearly all else. 

“I’m coming in now,” Ronan warned and Gansey nodded, though Ronan couldn’t see him yet. 

Then Ronan pulled back the shower curtain and Gansey smiled at him, more genuine than he’d been a while. It was hard to be honest when he was tiptoeing around his best friend for so long, worrying if what he felt for him was unreciprocated or even what exactly the feeling was. Sometimes emotions were hard to describe. 

And in the end – or really, _the beginning_ – it all worked out, so Gansey couldn’t help but not mind. 

Gansey smiled at him and miraculously, Ronan smiled back. 

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

Ronan was still standing just beyond the threshold of the shower, but he quickly cleared his throat and stepped in, pulling the curtain closed behind them and sealing in the heat. 

He moved closer and Gansey stepped to the side a bit, giving him enough room to stand on the other edge of the falling water, their bodies only centimeters apart. 

Gansey reached a hand forward and he touched Ronan’s face and the look in his eyes made Gansey’s heart twinge and the dam broke and Gansey hugged him. 

It was new, but it was comfortable. Everything with Ronan was comfortable. 

He’d never taken a shower with anyone before and definitely never his best friend. He’d never stood under a shower head and watched trickles of water roll off another’s shoulder. He’d never felt the press of another chest against his as wet bodies held each other, desperate for touch and desperate to stay together. Hands clasping behind backs, faces pressing into necks. 

He’d never tried before, but he knew that he wanted to again. 

The world was full of simple wonders and Gansey was just beginning to discover them. 

When they broke apart, they didn’t really – still just as linked as they always were. 

Ronan’s smile was unusual but that made it no less captivating. Gansey smiled back and more so when Ronan reached for the shampoo. 

He rubbed it in his hands and then whispered to Gansey to close his eyes and he did, breathing in the moment as Ronan gently curled his callused hands through each lock of hair. He scrubbed for several seconds and gently guided Gansey under the water, rinsing away the suds. 

When the deed was done, Ronan pulled Gansey back away again and Gansey flicked the droplets off of his face, blinking open his eyes at the boy before him. 

Ronan. 

Ronan glanced down and grabbed the soap and began to clean himself, muscles wrung out and in great need of a wash after determinedly playing tennis for hours. Gansey took the cue and did the same for himself and they were silent, the only sound the constant rush of the water and the thudding of their hearts, close enough to hear the other’s. 

Gansey looked up and Ronan did too. 

Gansey touched his face once more. His hand rested on Ronan’s cheek and he traced the lines of his jaw, mapping out all the lines and curves. His fingertips brushed his eyebrows and eyelids and nose and Gansey exhaled, fascinated by it all. 

Clear water clung to clipped lashes and silver streams slashed across slim lips. His heart stuttered and so did his hands as he watched the water fall. 

Gansey stood unmoving and Ronan allowed him to touch him, allowed himself to be vulnerable. 

This was trust.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! 
> 
> I like to imagine Gansey and Ronan straddling the line between friendship and a romantic relationship for a long time and this is my second work that stemmed from that idea. 
> 
> If you liked this please kudos or comment, it makes my day :)
> 
> Find me on tumblr @dreamthievespart17


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